Courtesy of the NTT IndyCar Series
LEBANON, Tenn. – Kyle Kirkwood and Andretti Global delivered a mighty qualifying effort Saturday at Nashville Superspeedway, edging oval meister Josef Newgarden to win the NTT P1 Award for the Borchetta Bourbon Music City Grand Prix presented by OnlyBulls.
Kirkwood earned his first pole of the season and fourth of his NTT IndyCar Series career with a two-lap average speed of 196.852 mph in the No. 27 Sam’s Club Honda. That dramatic run, second-to-last in the qualifying order, validated the speed Kirkwood flashed by leading practice Saturday morning around the 1.33-mile concrete oval.
SEE: Qualifying Results
“Quite honestly, it’s the car that Andretti gives me here,” said Kirkwood, a 27-year-old resident of Jupiter, Fla. “We were quick in practice. We’ve been good here the past couple of years.
“I did the same as everybody else is doing, right? You just hold it flat and you hope your car goes fast. They built a really good car around me, did everything right. I managed the tools a little bit, got aggressive with some trim. It worked out well.”
This is the second career pole for Kirkwood at Nashville Superspeedway. He also secured P1 for this event in 2024, with Newgarden also qualifying second.
Newgarden took the top spot on a steamy afternoon with his two-lap average of 196.642 mph in the No. 2 Astemo Team Penske Chevrolet, clearly aiming to remind everyone why he is the series’ dominant oval racer of recent years. Newgarden has won 13 of the last 30 circle-track events, including this race last year.
But four drivers later, Kirkwood blasted out via an opening lap of 197.382 mph _ the only lap in the entire session faster than 197 mph _ and hung on to seize the pole. Recall that Nashville-area native Newgarden is recovering from a left foot injury suffered in a crash during the 110th Indianapolis 500 in May.
“We have a great car here,” said Newgarden, 35, who is enjoying a rare weekend at home. “We started earlier this morning really well. The team did everything they could today, and we have a good viewpoint for (Sunday’s race) now.”
Team Penske took two of the top three spots on the starting grid as native New Zealander Scott McLaughlin qualified third at 196.087 mph in the No. 3 Odyssey Battery Team Penske Chevrolet. Four-time/reigning series champion Alex Palou of Spain will join McLaughlin on Row 2 after qualifying fourth at 196.050 mph in the No. 10 DHL Chip Ganassi Racing Honda.
Six-time series champion Scott Dixon of New Zealand continued a strong performance for Chip Ganassi Racing, qualifying fifth at 195.802 mph in the No. 9 PNC Chip Ganassi Racing Honda. Alexander Rossi, the 2016 Indy 500 champion, completed Row 3 at 195.664 mph in the No. 20 ECR Java House Chevrolet.
Dallas resident Santino Ferrucci led the two-car effort from Waller, Texas-based A.J. Foyt Racing in 11th at 195.332 mph in the No. 14 Homes For Our Troops Chevrolet. Rookie teammate Caio Collet of Brazil placed 15th at 194.827 mph in the No. 4 Combitrans Amazonia Chevrolet.
Pato O’Ward will start 12th after averaging 195.194 mph in the No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet. O’Ward, a 27-year-old native of Mexico with family ties to San Antonio, Texas, scored his first victory of the season in the series’ most recent race at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course on July 5.
All drivers coped with tricky, stifling conditions during qualifying. The air temperature was 94 degrees, with track temps reaching a blistering 130.
David Malukas, who has scored more oval points than any driver this season, did not attempt to qualify the No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet after walking away from a heavy crash during the morning practice.
Malukas climbed from the car with assistance from the AMR INDYCAR Safety Team and was transported to a local hospital via private vehicle for further testing. His status for Sunday’s 300-lap/399-mile race remains undecided, and the No. 12 car will start last in the 25-car field. Series veteran Conor Daly likely will replace Malukas if the native Chicagoan is ruled out by INDYCAR medical personnel.
The race is scheduled to start at approximately 5:30 p.m. (EDT) Sunday _ subject, however, to conclusion of the FIFA World Cup Final between defending champion Argentina and Spain. FOX, FOX One and INDYCAR Radio powered by OnlyBulls will provide live coverage.
The wait was worth it for Matteo Nannini, in more ways than one. Nannini earned his first pole of the season and second of his INDY NXT by Firestone career Saturday during qualifying for the Music City Grand Prix at Nashville Superspeedway. Nannini turned a two-lap average speed of 177.427 mph in the No. 20 Enve Motorsports car fielded by Cape Motorsports Powered by ECR.
SEE: Qualifying Results
The native of Faenza, Italy, was forced to wait to celebrate at the 1.33-mile concrete oval, staring at the timing screen in his pit while 10 drivers that followed in the qualifying line unsuccessfully tried to knock him off P1. His qualifying performance actually surprised Nannini, who was a disappointing 20th out of 23 drivers in practice Saturday morning.
“I was kind of mad with what was going on,” Nannini, 23, said of his mood after practice. “I didn’t think we were going to be able to turn it as good. A top-10 would have been good, but P1 is kind of surprising. Obviously, we’ll take it.
“The race is a totally different deal _ 65 laps. We’ll do our best, and we’re starting from the best spot in the house.”
Nannini’s latest pole was registered more than three years after his first, earned in May 2023 for the opening race of the Indianapolis Grand Prix double-header on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road-Course. Nannini won that event with Juncos Hollinger Racing in his sole season in INDYCAR’s developmental series before returning this year with the Cape team.
Rookie Alessandro de Tullio qualified second at 177.114 mph in the No. 14 A.J. Foyt Racing entry. It’s the Miami native’s 11th front-row start in 13 races this season, including a series-leading seven poles.
Fellow-rookie Nikita Johnson will start third in the No. 21 Cape Motorsports Powered by ECR car after his run of 177.072 mph, capping a strong session for the team. Myles Rowe _ winner of three of the last four oval races in the series _ will join Johnson in Row 2 after his run of 176.873 mph in the No. 99 Abel Motorsports with Force Indy machine.
Niels Koolen of the Netherlands continued his solid weekend by qualifying a career-best fifth at 176.816 mph in the No. 10 Chip Ganassi Racing entry. Rookie Max Garcia also will start in Row 3 after his qualifying run of 176.276 mph in the No. 12 Abel Motorsports car.
Series leader Enzo Fittipaldi _ the Miami resident who swept the double-header event at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course earlier this month _ qualified 14th at 175.398 mph in the No. 67 HMD Motorsports car.
Nannini will aim for his second career victory in the 65-lap race scheduled to start at 1 p.m. (EDT) Sunday (FS1, FOX One, INDYCAR Radio powered by OnlyBulls).
“I’m just looking forward to doing my best. It’s a long race,” Nanni said of an event booked for 86.45-miles. “I’ll try not to use the tires too much at the beginning and then go from there.”
